darkroom wannabe

G'day all! I am really wanting to develop my own B&W film at home. The 4
big questions I have a
What are the basics I should be looking at as far as chemicals,
equipment, enlarger, etc.?
How much should I be expecting to spend to get started?
What film/chemical combo is a good start for a noob?
What are some good resources to read to learn the basics?

TIA!
EC

Local colleges are a good place to start as well as camera
clubs.

The library is a good resource, paid for by tax dollars.

Since we have no clue where you are it makes it hard to pin down some
elements of your most earnest request.

A search at Amazon.com probably will bring back scores of books
on darkroom.

The key B&W film processing chemicals
A

Developer
Stop Bath
Fixer
Wetting Agent

Exact brands and types are an endless list.
Expect to spend 50,000 dollars US.


In article , EC
wrote:

G'day all! I am really wanting to develop my own B&W film at home. The 4
big questions I have a
What are the basics I should be looking at as far as chemicals,
equipment, enlarger, etc.?
How much should I be expecting to spend to get started?
What film/chemical combo is a good start for a noob?
What are some good resources to read to learn the basics?

TIA!
EC

--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

Local colleges are a good place to start as well as camera
clubs.

The library is a good resource, paid for by tax dollars.

Since we have no clue where you are it makes it hard to pin down some
elements of your most earnest request.

A search at Amazon.com probably will bring back scores of books
on darkroom.

The key B&W film processing chemicals
A

Developer
Stop Bath
Fixer
Wetting Agent

Exact brands and types are an endless list.
Expect to spend 50,000 dollars US.


In article , EC
wrote:

G'day all! I am really wanting to develop my own B&W film at home. The 4
big questions I have a
What are the basics I should be looking at as far as chemicals,
equipment, enlarger, etc.?
How much should I be expecting to spend to get started?
What film/chemical combo is a good start for a noob?
What are some good resources to read to learn the basics?

TIA!
EC

--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

EC wrote:
G'day all! I am really wanting to develop my own B&W film at home. The 4
big questions I have a
What are the basics I should be looking at as far as chemicals,
equipment, enlarger, etc.?
How much should I be expecting to spend to get started?
What film/chemical combo is a good start for a noob?
What are some good resources to read to learn the basics?


Developer,stop and fix. And some leave out stop. You mention enlarger so
I'm guessing you want to print and develop. Film tank. Trays for prints.
Enlarger. Lens. What format? 35mm? Bigger? Cost depends on the deal you
find. Stuff is fairly cheap used right now.

Ilford on thier website used to have a couple of documents on
developing film and printing. They're good enough to get you started.

Nick

Yes, indeed, with the exception of the $50,000 Greg's post is a starting
point.

If I may elaborate.

First items:
FILM:
Nikkor tank with steel reels eBay: $5 ~ $25 US
"apron" to use if you cant manage reels : maybe $10~$15 US
Chem jugs, (req 1 minimum, 3 maximum): $5~15 each US
Photo Thermometer: $10~$25
Chems:
Developer: D76, or HC-110 (i rec. HC110 for beginners, its fast, easy, clean
and no jugs req'd) D-76=$10 or so, HC110=$15.00 or so, but makes much more
and lasts much longer than D76
Stop Bath, not req'd for film (use a water wash at same temp as dev.
instead) about $10 US
Fixer: Rapid Fix ($15~$20 US), or Standard Fixer ($7~$10 US)
Hypo Clearing Agent: (optional) $7~$12
Wetting Agent (Photo Flo, etc) about $10~$15 US, (last a long time)
MINIMUM: $60.00 US
MAXIMUM: $180.00 US
Spend as much as or as little as you wish!

PRINTING:
Enlarger (eBay) decent Omega unit, C700, C760 etc, $55~$125 US typically
Trays: 8x10 size 3 req'd min. (eBay) $5~$15 ea.
Tongs (so u dont get chem on fingers, (optional) $5~$15 US (eBay)
Safelight: (eBay) $10~$35
Polycontrast Filter set: (eBay) $15~$50
Timer: Gralab or Time-o-lite (eBay) $15~$65
Paper: Kodak or Ilford typically: (not from eBay!) $15~$35 depending on size
and count, this could go up depending.
Thermometer (included with film set up) ~0~
Dektol Developer (good gen purpose paper dev.) $10~$15
Indicator Stop Bath: $10~$20
Fixer: $7~$20
Chem jugs, (req 1 minimum, 4 maximum): $5~15 each US

TOTAL PRINTING:
MINIMUM: $160
MAXIMUM: $485

Of course yopur max might be higher than $500 depending on the bad deals you
jump on. Then aga8in, you could very well spend much less than the minimums
if you find great deals, (they ARE out there!) Many auctions on eBay are
complete darkroom sets, and a few ppl let nice enlarger go for mere change.
I bought a VERY nice Omega C760 color dichro head enlarger with large
baseboard and tall column option on eBay for $65 last fall. Be patient and
youll have a nice set up for little money in no time!

As far as learning the ropes, perhaps Ill let the others take that one on...
I must go do some errands!

Best of Luck,
Mike Lachance



"Gregory Blank" wrote in message
...
Local colleges are a good place to start as well as camera
clubs.

The library is a good resource, paid for by tax dollars.

Since we have no clue where you are it makes it hard to pin down some
elements of your most earnest request.

A search at Amazon.com probably will bring back scores of books
on darkroom.

The key B&W film processing chemicals
A

Developer
Stop Bath
Fixer
Wetting Agent

Exact brands and types are an endless list.
Expect to spend 50,000 dollars US.


In article , EC
wrote:

G'day all! I am really wanting to develop my own B&W film at home. The 4
big questions I have a
What are the basics I should be looking at as far as chemicals,
equipment, enlarger, etc.?
How much should I be expecting to spend to get started?
What film/chemical combo is a good start for a noob?
What are some good resources to read to learn the basics?

TIA!
EC

--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

I forgot to mention beekers and measuring vessels. for HC110 use youll need
a 1oz graduated beeker accurate to within 1/8 oz

Otherwise 16oz graduated beekers are the norm.

ML


"Michael R. Lachance" wrote in message
ink.net...
Yes, indeed, with the exception of the $50,000 Greg's post is a starting
point.

If I may elaborate.

First items:
FILM:
Nikkor tank with steel reels eBay: $5 ~ $25 US
"apron" to use if you cant manage reels : maybe $10~$15 US
Chem jugs, (req 1 minimum, 3 maximum): $5~15 each US
Photo Thermometer: $10~$25
Chems:
Developer: D76, or HC-110 (i rec. HC110 for beginners, its fast, easy,
clean
and no jugs req'd) D-76=$10 or so, HC110=$15.00 or so, but makes much more
and lasts much longer than D76
Stop Bath, not req'd for film (use a water wash at same temp as dev.
instead) about $10 US
Fixer: Rapid Fix ($15~$20 US), or Standard Fixer ($7~$10 US)
Hypo Clearing Agent: (optional) $7~$12
Wetting Agent (Photo Flo, etc) about $10~$15 US, (last a long time)
MINIMUM: $60.00 US
MAXIMUM: $180.00 US
Spend as much as or as little as you wish!

PRINTING:
Enlarger (eBay) decent Omega unit, C700, C760 etc, $55~$125 US typically
Trays: 8x10 size 3 req'd min. (eBay) $5~$15 ea.
Tongs (so u dont get chem on fingers, (optional) $5~$15 US (eBay)
Safelight: (eBay) $10~$35
Polycontrast Filter set: (eBay) $15~$50
Timer: Gralab or Time-o-lite (eBay) $15~$65
Paper: Kodak or Ilford typically: (not from eBay!) $15~$35 depending on
size
and count, this could go up depending.
Thermometer (included with film set up) ~0~
Dektol Developer (good gen purpose paper dev.) $10~$15
Indicator Stop Bath: $10~$20
Fixer: $7~$20
Chem jugs, (req 1 minimum, 4 maximum): $5~15 each US

TOTAL PRINTING:
MINIMUM: $160
MAXIMUM: $485

Of course yopur max might be higher than $500 depending on the bad deals
you
jump on. Then aga8in, you could very well spend much less than the
minimums
if you find great deals, (they ARE out there!) Many auctions on eBay are
complete darkroom sets, and a few ppl let nice enlarger go for mere
change.
I bought a VERY nice Omega C760 color dichro head enlarger with large
baseboard and tall column option on eBay for $65 last fall. Be patient and
youll have a nice set up for little money in no time!

As far as learning the ropes, perhaps Ill let the others take that one
on...
I must go do some errands!

Best of Luck,
Mike Lachance



"Gregory Blank" wrote in message
...
Local colleges are a good place to start as well as camera
clubs.

The library is a good resource, paid for by tax dollars.

Since we have no clue where you are it makes it hard to pin down some
elements of your most earnest request.

A search at Amazon.com probably will bring back scores of books
on darkroom.

The key B&W film processing chemicals
A

Developer
Stop Bath
Fixer
Wetting Agent

Exact brands and types are an endless list.
Expect to spend 50,000 dollars US.


In article , EC
wrote:

G'day all! I am really wanting to develop my own B&W film at home. The
4
big questions I have a
What are the basics I should be looking at as far as chemicals,
equipment, enlarger, etc.?
How much should I be expecting to spend to get started?
What film/chemical combo is a good start for a noob?
What are some good resources to read to learn the basics?

TIA!
EC

--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

I forgot to mention beekers and measuring vessels. for HC110 use youll need
a 1oz graduated beeker accurate to within 1/8 oz

Otherwise 16oz graduated beekers are the norm.

ML


"Michael R. Lachance" wrote in message
ink.net...
Yes, indeed, with the exception of the $50,000 Greg's post is a starting
point.

If I may elaborate.

First items:
FILM:
Nikkor tank with steel reels eBay: $5 ~ $25 US
"apron" to use if you cant manage reels : maybe $10~$15 US
Chem jugs, (req 1 minimum, 3 maximum): $5~15 each US
Photo Thermometer: $10~$25
Chems:
Developer: D76, or HC-110 (i rec. HC110 for beginners, its fast, easy,
clean
and no jugs req'd) D-76=$10 or so, HC110=$15.00 or so, but makes much more
and lasts much longer than D76
Stop Bath, not req'd for film (use a water wash at same temp as dev.
instead) about $10 US
Fixer: Rapid Fix ($15~$20 US), or Standard Fixer ($7~$10 US)
Hypo Clearing Agent: (optional) $7~$12
Wetting Agent (Photo Flo, etc) about $10~$15 US, (last a long time)
MINIMUM: $60.00 US
MAXIMUM: $180.00 US
Spend as much as or as little as you wish!

PRINTING:
Enlarger (eBay) decent Omega unit, C700, C760 etc, $55~$125 US typically
Trays: 8x10 size 3 req'd min. (eBay) $5~$15 ea.
Tongs (so u dont get chem on fingers, (optional) $5~$15 US (eBay)
Safelight: (eBay) $10~$35
Polycontrast Filter set: (eBay) $15~$50
Timer: Gralab or Time-o-lite (eBay) $15~$65
Paper: Kodak or Ilford typically: (not from eBay!) $15~$35 depending on
size
and count, this could go up depending.
Thermometer (included with film set up) ~0~
Dektol Developer (good gen purpose paper dev.) $10~$15
Indicator Stop Bath: $10~$20
Fixer: $7~$20
Chem jugs, (req 1 minimum, 4 maximum): $5~15 each US

TOTAL PRINTING:
MINIMUM: $160
MAXIMUM: $485

Of course yopur max might be higher than $500 depending on the bad deals
you
jump on. Then aga8in, you could very well spend much less than the
minimums
if you find great deals, (they ARE out there!) Many auctions on eBay are
complete darkroom sets, and a few ppl let nice enlarger go for mere
change.
I bought a VERY nice Omega C760 color dichro head enlarger with large
baseboard and tall column option on eBay for $65 last fall. Be patient and
youll have a nice set up for little money in no time!

As far as learning the ropes, perhaps Ill let the others take that one
on...
I must go do some errands!

Best of Luck,
Mike Lachance



"Gregory Blank" wrote in message
...
Local colleges are a good place to start as well as camera
clubs.

The library is a good resource, paid for by tax dollars.

Since we have no clue where you are it makes it hard to pin down some
elements of your most earnest request.

A search at Amazon.com probably will bring back scores of books
on darkroom.

The key B&W film processing chemicals
A

Developer
Stop Bath
Fixer
Wetting Agent

Exact brands and types are an endless list.
Expect to spend 50,000 dollars US.


In article , EC
wrote:

G'day all! I am really wanting to develop my own B&W film at home. The
4
big questions I have a
What are the basics I should be looking at as far as chemicals,
equipment, enlarger, etc.?
How much should I be expecting to spend to get started?
What film/chemical combo is a good start for a noob?
What are some good resources to read to learn the basics?

TIA!
EC

--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

EC wrote:
G'day all! I am really wanting to develop my own B&W film at home. The 4
big questions I have a
What are the basics I should be looking at as far as chemicals,
equipment, enlarger, etc.?
How much should I be expecting to spend to get started?
What film/chemical combo is a good start for a noob?
What are some good resources to read to learn the basics?

TIA!
EC

There are a number of good books out there. I suggest heading to the
library and doing a bunch of reading. A very good book is Chris
Woodhouse's and Ralph Lambrecht's _Way Beyond Monochrome_. Kodak makes
a bunch of decent photo guides that should be easy to get. When you get
to printing, check out Tim Rudman's book on printing.

Before buying anything, you have to be clear what your objectives are.
What kind of photos do you want to take? Architecture, landscapes,
portraits (location or studio)? This choice would determine what type of
camera equipment you'll need, and that's go a long way to determining
what type of darkroom equipment you'll need as well.

It's a great time to be buying darkroom equipment, since there's such a
glut of it on the used market. However, you have to know what to look
for. Can you find someone in your area that could help you out? When I
started, I bought a cheap 35mm ss reel and tank set. For the life of
me, I couldn't load it, even in daylight, and I generally don't have
dexterity problems. It turns out that my reel was bent just enough to
not be usable. An experienced eye can be a real asset when putting
together a darkroom.

For film developing, you can get buy with reels and a daylight tank,
along with a plastic container to use as a water bath, at least you can
for 35mm and 120mm films. When I used tanks, I would only develop half
the number of rolls that the film could handle. I'd put the loaded roll
(or two) on the bottom and empty reels on top. I'd put in enough
developer to go up 1/4" above the load reels. This technique tends to
give very even development, but you need a bigger tank. Tanks with
plastic tops tend to leak less than ones with metal tops. For stainless
steel reels, I prefer Hewes.

What type of film you use will depend on what you want to photograph,
the conditions you'll photograph under, the size of the prints that you
want to make, and the look of the prints that you want. For general
35mm work, many people start with Tri-x or HP5+. Rate them at EI 200
and develop them in D76 1+1, which is the most ubiquitous developer.
It's reliable and gives fine grain and good emulsion speed. It's the
standard by which other developers are judged. (Film X gives more speed
then D76 but larger grain...) If you get to know the standard, then
these type of comparisons will make more sense. Expose enough to get the
shadow detail that you want, and develop enough so that the higher print
values look good on grade 2.5 or 3 paper. (These recommendations would
change for larger film sizes.)

For enlarging, things get a little more expensive and tricky, although
not too bad. There are a lot of issue to look out for, though. Is the
enlarger sturdy? Is anything bent? Does everything work smoothly? Can
you align the baseboard, lens stage and negative stage? (If these aren't
aligned properly, you can lose significant quality.) Are the condensers
or diffusers in good shape? With a color head (which is also very good
for variable contrast BW printing), are the dichroic filters faded? Can
they be easily replaced? ... Finally, can you get parts or manuals if
needed? I don't know what enlargers were prevalent in your area. Here a
4x5 Omega D2 is a good low cost choice. They were made for years and
years, and so lots of parts are available. I have 6x6 philips 2000
enlargers which are nice, but they are electronically complex. If
something goes, they're probably junk. They also don't align very well.
My 4x5 enlarger is a De-Vere, which are very high quality, and the
company is still in business at the moment, but replacement parts tend
to cost more than I paid for the whole enlarger.

You will need trays, tongs (get the plastic ones with rubber tips), a
safelight or two (I like the red plastic dome ones. The ones with thin
filters tend to fade.), a good enlarger timer (the best are made by RH
Designs), easel(I recommend a Saunders 11x14 slimtrack) and focusing aid
(I like the 25x micro sight).

For film developing, start with something like Agfa Multi contrast
Premium RC Semi-matte or something similar. Once you start getting
decent prints, you then might consider fiber based paper, such as Agfa
Multi contrast Classic, Ilford Multigrade FB... They're more work.

Develop the prints in Dektol, another standard. I like using a citric
acid stop bath and a neutral ph rapid fix. Once you get prints that you
want to last, you'll want to tone them in selenium, gold, or some other
toner that increases the print's life span.

Well, that should give you enough to ask some further questions.

For film developing, start with something like Agfa Multi contrast
Premium RC Semi-matte or something similar. Once you start getting
decent prints, you then might consider fiber based paper, such as Agfa
Multi contrast Classic, Ilford Multigrade FB... They're more work.



That should have read "For print developing..." Sorry.

Peter De Smidt

For film developing, start with something like Agfa Multi contrast
Premium RC Semi-matte or something similar. Once you start getting
decent prints, you then might consider fiber based paper, such as Agfa
Multi contrast Classic, Ilford Multigrade FB... They're more work.



That should have read "For print developing..." Sorry.

Peter De Smidt